The present invention relates to a roof rack for vehicles, comprising two rails extending substantially parallel to each other and along the side edges of the surface of the roof and supporting feet which support the rails and each foot resting on the surface of the roof. The invention particularly concerns the construction of the rails and of transverse load supports or crosspieces extendable between the rails.
If deemed necessary, crosspieces can ordinarily be fastened to the rails of such a roof rack in order to support roof loads. When they are not in use, the crosspieces are usually removed and held available. Perhaps the crosspieces are also carried in the vehicle, which may, however, present space problems.
Federal Republic of Germany 38 14 799 C2 publication discloses a vehicle body with a roof and having a rack for a roof luggage carrier which is fastened on the roof. The rack includes two rails which extend substantially in the direction of vehicle travel and are at least approximately parallel to each other. Individual support bars are arranged between the rails. The bars can be removed from their positions of use when the roof luggage carrier is not in use. In this arrangement, the rails have chambers which receive the support bars when they are not needed.
This arrangement makes the support bars always available without their taking up space within the vehicle. In the luggage carrier, in this German publication, support bars must necessarily be clamped on the rails, which is not always desired. In addition, the distance between the support bars along the rails is not variable.